Fan device, motor and liquid pump

ABSTRACT

A fan device includes a driving device, a fan wheel, and a locking fastener. The driving device includes a shaft. The fan wheel defines a shaft hole to receive the shaft. The locking fastener has a thermal expansion coefficient same as a thermal expansion coefficient of the shaft

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This non-provisional patent application claims priority under 35 U.S.C.§119(a) from Patent Application No. 201620173309.5 filed in The People'sRepublic of China on Mar. 7, 2016.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to the field of a fan device, andparticularly relates to a motor and a liquid pump thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A motor can generate a lot of heat, when the motor is operating. Forcooling the motor, a fan device is fixed in one end of a shaft of themotor and the motor drives the fan device to rotate to generate air flowto cool the motor.

The fan device is generally made of plastic and fixed to the shaft in aninterference fit way. When the working ambient temperature of the motoris high, it is easy to cause the fan device to fall off, because theexpansion coefficient of the plastic is different from that of theshaft.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a stereoscopic schematic view of a liquid pump in oneembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of one portion of the liquid pump shown inFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the other portion of the liquid pump shownin FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a stereoscopic schematic view of the partial structure of afan device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 shows a partially exploded view of the partial structure of thefan device shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 shows an exploded view of the partial structure in anotherdirection of the fan device shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 shows a section view of the partial structure of the fan deviceshown in FIG. 4 along a VII-VII direction.

Below, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detailwith reference to the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention willbe clearly and completely described as follows with reference to theaccompanying drawings. Apparently, the embodiments as described beloware merely part of, rather than all, embodiments of the presentinvention. Based on the embodiments of the present disclosure, any otherembodiment obtained by a person skilled in the art without paying anycreative effort shall fall within the protection scope of the presentinvention.

It is noted that, when a component is described to be “fixed” to anothercomponent, it can be directly fixed to the another component or theremay be an intermediate component, i.e. indirectly fixed to the anothercomponent through a third component. When a component is described to be“connected” to another component, it can be directly connected to theanother component or there may be an intermediate component. When acomponent is described to be “disposed” on another component, it can bedirectly disposed on the another component or there may be anintermediate component.

Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms have theordinary meaning as understood by people skilled in the art. The termsused in this disclosure are illustrative rather than limiting. The term“and/or” as used in this disclosure means that each and everycombination of one or more associated items listed are included.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, one embodiment of the present disclosureprovides a liquid pump 100, wherein the liquid pump 100 is used forwater circulation and discharge in a dishwasher, a washing machine orthe like. The liquid pump 100 includes at least one motor 10 and a pump30, wherein the motor 10 is connected with the pump 30, and an impeller31 of the pump 30 is driven by the motor 10 to generate a vacuum suctionin the pump 30, so as to realize liquid circulation and discharge.

The motor 10 includes a housing 11, a stator (not marked) and a rotor 12provided in the housing 11, an end cap 13 used for fixing the rotor 12and provided at one end of the housing 11, a cover 15 and a fan device20 (as shown in FIG. 3). The rotor 12 includes a shaft 123, and the fandevice 20 is mounted at one end of the shaft 123. The cover 15 isconnected to the end cap 13. The shaft 123 drives the fan device 20 torotate to generate an air flow, so as to cool the motor 10 and the pump30.

In the embodiment, the motor 10 includes the fan device 20. In anotherembodiment, the fan device 20 can also include a driving device thatdrives the fan device 20; the driving device includes a shaft and can bea motor or other power sources.

Referring to FIGS. 4-5, the fan device 20 includes a fan wheel 21, alocking fastener 23 and a retaining ring 25. The fan wheel 21 is sleevedonto the locking fastener 23 and the locking fastener 23 is sleeved ontothe shaft 123. The retaining ring 25 is used for preventing a magneticflux leakage, so as to improve efficiency of the motor 10. In otherembodiments, the retaining ring 25 can be omitted. The locking fastener23, the retaining ring 25 and the shaft 123 are made from materialshaving similar expansion coefficients. Preferably, the locking fastener23, the retaining ring 25 and the shaft 123 have a same expansioncoefficient.

The fan wheel 21 includes a fixing member 213 and an outer ring part215. In the embodiment, the fixing member 213 is generally of a circularshape, while the outer ring part 215 is generally of a disk shape. Thefixing member 213 is convexly formed from the outer ring part 215 alongan axis direction. The fixing member 213 is disposed at an axis positionof the outer ring part 215. The fan wheel 21 is made of materials likeplastics and rubber, and the fixing member 213 and the outer ring part215 are integrally formed through injection molding or pouring.

The fixing member 213 defines a shaft hole 2131 along the axisdirection, and the locking fastener 23 and the shaft 123 can penetratethrough the shaft hole 2131. An end face at one end of the fixing member213 protruding out of the outer ring part 215 is circularly providedwith a plurality of ribs 2133, and the ribs 2133 resist against thelocking fastener 23 to increase the friction between the fixing member213 and the locking fastener 23.

Referring to FIG. 6, in the embodiment, the other end of the fixingmember 213 includes a step portion 2134 and a clamping portion 2136. Thestep portion 2134 and the clamping portion 2136 are two cylinders withdifferent diameters, wherein a diameter of the step portion 2134 isgreater than that of the clamping portion 2136. The step portion 2134 isformed by extending along the outer ring part 215 away from the ribs2133, and the clamping portion 2136 is provided at one side of the stepportion 2134 against the outer ring part 215. The step portion 2134 andthe clamping portion 2136 are coaxially disposed.

A plurality of projection portions 2135 are uniformly and circularlyarranged at one side of the step portion 2134 provided with the clampingportion 2136 for clamping the retaining ring 25 at intervals.

A plurality of clamping grooves 21361 are defined at an end wall at oneend of the clamping portion 2136 against the step portion 2134 along theaxis direction of the clamping portion 2136, and the clamping grooves21361 are uniformly provided at intervals to clamp the locking fastener23. A peripheral wall of the clamping portion 2136 is also provided witha plurality of clamping blocks 21363 in a radial direction, and theclamping blocks 21363 are used for clamping the retaining ring 25. Theclamping grooves 21361 and the clamping blocks 21363 are provided atintervals, the structural strength of the clamping portion 2136 can beimproved.

The outer ring part 215 includes a plurality of blades 2151 and aplurality of reinforcing ribs 2153. The plurality of blades 2151 arecircularly provided onto the outer ring part 215 at intervals. In theembodiment, each blade 2151 is of an arc shape, one end of which extendsto an edge of the outer ring part 215. The plurality of reinforcing ribs2153 are disposed in a connection portion of the outer ring part 215 andthe step portion 2134 at intervals, in order to enhance the structuralstrength of the whole fan wheel 21.

The locking fastener 23 is used for fixing the fan wheel 21 to the shaft123. In the embodiment, the locking fastener 23 is generally of a hollowcylindrical nail body and is mounted to an inner wall of the shaft holeand is sleeved at one end of the shaft 123. One end of the lockingfastener 23 is provided with an annular nail head 232; the other end ofthe locking fastener 23 is provided with an axial gap 233 to divide theother end of the nail body into a plurality of leaflets 234. An diameterof the nail head 232 is greater than an inner diameter of the fixingmember 213. The nail head 232 can resist against the ribs 2133.

Referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the retaining ring 25 is of a hollowcyclic structure, one end face of which is circularly provided with aplurality of first grooves 251, and each of first groove 251 iscommunicated with a hollow part (not marked) of the retaining ring 25.An inner arc surface of the retaining ring 25 is uniformly andcircularly provided with a plurality of second grooves 252, and eachclamping block 21363 is clamped into one of the second grooves 252. Theother end face of the retaining ring 25 is provided with a plurality ofretaining grooves 253 at intervals, and each projection portion 2135 isclamped into one of the retaining grooves 253.

Referring to FIG. 7, the process of assembling the fan device 20 is asfollows: the retaining ring 25 is sleeved onto the fixing member 213,each clamping block 21363 is clamped into one corresponding secondgroove 252, and each projection portion 2135 is clamped into onecorresponding clamping groove 253. One end of the locking fastener 23away from the nail head 232 is inserted into the fixing member 213 fromone side of the fixing member 213 provided with a plurality of ribs2133, so that the nail head 232 is pressed against the plurality of ribs2133. The leaflet 234 at one end of the locking fastener 23 is hammeredor pressurized to flange the plurality of leaflet 234 against an axisdirection of the locking fastener 23, so as to form a plurality of bentportions 235; each bent portion 235 extends along a radial direction ofthe locking fastener 23 to clamp each bent portion 235 to thecorresponding clamping groove 21361; an end portion of each bent portion235 is further clamped into the corresponding first groove 251 over theclamping groove 21361, to limit axial displacement between the retainingring 25 and the fixing member 213, and the retaining ring 25 is fixedlyprovided to the fixing member 213 in an interference fit way.

The locking faster 23 is sleeved to one end of the shaft 123 to allowthe fan wheel 21 to rotate along with the shaft 123. In the embodiment,the locking fastener 23 is made of a metal material, and is fixedlyprovided at one end of the shaft 123 in an interference fit way.

It can be understood that, in other embodiments provided by the presentdisclosure, the projection portion 2135 can be directly and circularlyprovided onto the outer ring part 215 along the axis of the outer ringpart 215 at intervals, and the step portion 2134 can be omitted.

It can be understood that, when the step portion 2134 is omitted, theplurality of reinforcing ribs 2153 are disposed at a connection portionof the outer ring part 215 and the clamping portion 2136 at intervals.

It can be understood that positions of each clamping block 21363 andeach second groove 252 can be interchanged, i.e. the plurality ofclamping blocks 21363 are disposed in the inner arc surface of theretaining ring 25 at intervals, while the plurality of second grooves252 are disposed in the peripheral wall of the clamping portion 2136 atintervals. Each clamping block 21363 is clamped in the correspondingsecond groove 252.

It can be understood that positions of each projection portion 2135 andeach clamping groove 253 can be interchanged, i.e. the plurality ofprojection portions 2135 are provided at one side of the retaining ring25 against one side of the first grooves 251 at intervals, and theplurality of clamping grooves 253 are provided at one side of the stepportion 2134 close to the clamping portion 2136 at intervals. Eachprojection portion 2136 is clamped in the corresponding second groove253.

The fan device 20 comprises the locking fastener 23 and the retainingring 25 which are made from a material with an expansion coefficientapproximate to the shaft; the nail heads 232 at both ends of the lockingfastener 23 and a plurality of bent portions 235 are fixed in the fanwheel 21, and then the fan wheel 21 with the locking fastener 23 isfixed on one end of the shaft 123, thus the fan wheel 21 will not beaffected when the shaft 123 is heated, i.e. the fan device 20 will notbe separated from the shaft 123 after being expanded by heating. Andmoreover, the fan wheel 21 is fixedly clamped to the shaft 123 by thelocking fastener 12, the complicated processes of traditional knurlingon the shaft 123 is omitted. In summary, the fan device 20 is simple toassemble and can operate with high efficiency.

Although the invention is described with reference to one or moreembodiments, the above description of the embodiments is used only toenable people skilled in the art to practice or use the invention. Itshould be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variousmodifications are possible without departing from the spirit or scope ofthe present invention. The embodiments illustrated herein should not beinterpreted as limits to the present invention, and the scope of theinvention is to be determined by reference to the claims that follow.

1. A fan device, comprising: a driving device having a shaft; a fanwheel defining a shaft hole to receive the shaft; a locking fastenerlock the fan wheel on the shaft; and wherein the locking fastener has athermal expansion coefficient same as a thermal expansion coefficient ofthe shaft
 2. The fan device according to claim 1, wherein the fan wheelfurther comprises a fixing member and an outer ring part, the fixingmember is disposed at an axis position of the outer ring part and isconvexly formed from the outer ring part, and the shaft hole penetratesthrough the fixing member along an axis.
 3. The fan device according toclaim 2, wherein the locking fastener is of a hollow cylindrical nailbody, a nail head is arranged in one end of the locking fastener and aplurality of leaflets divided by a gap arranged in the other end of thelocking fastener, and the nail head resists against one end of thefixing member.
 4. The fan device according to claim 3, wherein aplurality of clamping grooves are formed in an end wall at one end ofthe fixing member, the other end of the locking fastener is providedwith bent portions f, and the other end of the fixing member away fromthe clamping grooves resists against one corresponding nail head and thebent portions are clamped in the clamping grooves.
 5. The fan deviceaccording to claim 4, wherein the fixing member comprises a clampingportion and a step portion, a plurality of clamping grooves are formedin a peripheral wall of the clamping portion, one end of the fixingmember resists the nail head and the bent portions are clamped in theclamping grooves.
 6. The fan device according to claim 5, wherein theperipheral wall of the clamping portion is provided with a plurality ofclamping blocks in a radial direction, and the clamping blocks and theclamping grooves are provided disposed at intervals.
 7. The fan deviceaccording to claim 6, further comprising a retaining ring, wherein oneend face of the retaining ring circularly defines a plurality of firstgrooves, and a tail end of each bent portion penetrates through thecorresponding clamping groove and then is clamped in the first groove.8. The fan device according to claim 7, wherein a plurality of secondgrooves are uniformly and circularly defined in an inner arc surface ofthe retaining ring is uniformly and circularly provided with a pluralityof second grooves, and each clamping block is clamped into one of thesecond grooves.
 9. The fan device according to claim 67, wherein oneside of the step portion is provided with a plurality of projectionportions are disposed in one side of the step portion, a plurality ofclamping grooves are disposed in one side of the retaining ring isprovided with a plurality of clamping grooves, and each projectionportion is clamped in one of the clamping grooves.
 10. The fan deviceaccording to claim 4, wherein a plurality of ribs are circularlyarranged at one end face of the fixing member against the bent portionsis circularly provided with a plurality of ribs at intervals, and thenail heads are pressed against the ribs.
 11. The motor fan deviceaccording to claim 5, wherein a plurality of blades are disposed at oneside of the outer ring part, close to the clamping portion, iscircularly provided with a plurality of blades at intervals.
 12. Amotor, comprising: a housing; a stator disposed in the housing; a rotordisposed in the housing; an end cap covered at one end of the housing;and a fan device fixed by a shaft of the rotor, wherein the fan devicecomprises a fan wheel defining a shaft hole to receive the shaft; and alocking fastener lock the fan wheel on the shaft; wherein the lockingfastener has a thermal expansion coefficient same as a thermal expansioncoefficient of the shaft.
 13. The motor according to claim 12, whereinthe fan wheel further comprises a fixing member and an outer ring part,the fixing member is disposed at an axis position of the outer ring partand is convexly formed from the outer ring part, and the shaft holepenetrates through the fixing member along an axis.
 14. The motoraccording to claim 13, wherein the fan wheel further comprises a fixingmember and an outer ring part, the fixing member is disposed at an axisposition of the outer ring part and is convexly formed from the outerring part, and the shaft hole penetrates through the fixing member alongan axis.
 15. The motor according to claim 14, wherein a plurality ofclamping grooves are formed in an end wall at one end of the fixingmember, the other end of the locking fastener is provided with bentportions f, and the other end of the fixing member away from theclamping grooves resists against one corresponding nail head and thebent portions are clamped in the clamping grooves.
 16. The motoraccording to claim 15, wherein the fixing member comprises a clampingportion and a step portion, a plurality of clamping grooves are formedin a peripheral wall of the clamping portion, one end of the fixingmember resists the nail head and the bent portions are clamped in theclamping grooves.
 17. The motor according to claim 16, wherein theperipheral wall of the clamping portion is provided with a plurality ofclamping blocks in a radial direction, and the clamping blocks and theclamping grooves are disposed at intervals.
 18. The motor according toclaim 17, wherein the fan device further comprises a retaining ring, oneend face of is the retaining ring circularly defines a plurality offirst grooves, and a tail end of each bent portion penetrates throughthe corresponding clamping groove and is clamped in the first groove.19. The motor according to claim 18, wherein a plurality of secondgrooves are uniformly and circularly defined in an inner arc surface ofthe retaining ring, and each clamping block is clamped into one of thesecond grooves.
 20. A liquid pump, comprising: a pump; and a motor ofclaim 12 driving the pump to operate.